Patentable/Patents/US-9406177
US-9406177

Fault handling in an autonomous vehicle

PublishedAugust 2, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Data is collected during operation of a vehicle. A determination is made that a confidence assessment of at least one of the data indicates at least one fault condition. A first autonomous operation affected by the fault condition is discontinued, where a second autonomous operation that is unaffected by the fault condition is continued.

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A system, comprising a computer in a first vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer includes instructions to: collect data during operation of the first vehicle; determine that a confidence assessment of at least one of the data indicates at least one fault condition in at least one data-providing component in the first vehicle; transmit a communication to at least one second vehicle indicating the at least one fault condition; and receive at least one datum from a second vehicle; determine an autonomous operation of the first vehicle based at least in part on the at least one datum.

2

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous operation is one of maintaining a lane in a roadway, maintaining a speed, pulling to a side of a roadway, and bringing the first vehicle to a stop.

3

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication includes data sent according to Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC).

4

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication is made using visual light emitted by the first vehicle.

5

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer further includes instructions to use the at least one datum to determine a location of an obstacle.

6

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one datum includes at least one of a location of the second vehicle, a location of an object on a roadway, a location of a lean on a roadway, a location of a third vehicle, and an instruction for operating the first vehicle.

7

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fault condition is related to at least one of a sensor in a first vehicle and a reliability of a data value determined in the first vehicle.

8

8. A system, comprising a computer in a vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer includes instructions to: collect data during operation of the first vehicle; determine that a confidence assessment of at least one of the data indicates at least one fault condition in at least one data-providing component in the first vehicle; and discontinue a first autonomous operation affected by the fault condition; continue a second autonomous operation that is unaffected by the fault condition.

9

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first autonomous operation and the second autonomous operation is one of maintaining a lane in a roadway, maintaining a speed, pulling to a side of a roadway, and bringing the first vehicle to a stop.

10

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer further includes instructions to use the at least one datum to determine a location of an obstacle.

11

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one datum includes at least one of a location of the second vehicle, a location of an object on a roadway, a location of a lean on a roadway, a location of a third vehicle, and an instruction for operating the first vehicle.

12

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one fault condition is related to at least one of a sensor in a first vehicle and a reliability of a data value determined in the first vehicle.

13

13. A method, comprising: collecting, in a first vehicle computer, data during operation of the first vehicle; determining in the first vehicle computer that a confidence assessment of at least one of the data indicates at least one fault condition; causing, by the first vehicle computer, transmission of a communication to at least one second vehicle indicating the at least one fault condition in at least one data-providing component in the first vehicle; and receiving in the first vehicle computer at least one datum from the at least one second vehicle; determining an autonomous operation of the first vehicle based at least in part on the at least one datum.

14

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the autonomous operation is one of maintaining a lane in a roadway, maintaining a speed, pulling to a side of a roadway, and bringing the first vehicle to a stop.

15

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the communication includes data sent according to Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC).

16

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the communication is made using visual light emitted by the first vehicle.

17

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using the at least one datum to determine a location of an obstacle.

18

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one datum includes at least one of a location of the second vehicle, a location of an object on a roadway, a location of a lean on a roadway, a location of a third vehicle, and an instruction for operating the first vehicle.

19

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fault condition is related to at least one of a sensor in a first vehicle and a reliability of a data value determined in the first vehicle.

20

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the confidence assessment includes determining a confidence interval in a set of confidence intervals into which a confidence value falls.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

February 20, 2014

Publication Date

August 2, 2016

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Cite as: Patentable. “Fault handling in an autonomous vehicle” (US-9406177). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9406177

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